Method and apparatus for the production of felted rock wool



` C. D. RICHARDSON METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FELTED ROCK WOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 2, 1946 Patented Sept. 13, 1949 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRO- DUCTION F FELTED ROCK WOOL Charles D. Richardson, Anderson, Ind.

Application December 2, 1946, Serial No. 713,488

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a method and apparatus for the production of felted rock wool.

An object of the invention is to produce rock wool bats or boards of a felted -character and reinforced with appropriate material, such as metal lath, poultry netting, hardware cloth, or re resistant perforated elements, all in one continuous operation.

It has heretofore been the general practice in the manufacture of felted rock wool bats or boards to felt loose mineral wool between two pieces of poultry netting wire, metal lath or the like for reinforcing purposes and then sew all of the parts together with fine wires. Such a product was capable of use in limited environments and on some equipment, but it had the disadvantages of the loss of heat through the tie wires, uneven tie wiresY and also due to the fact that felting of the rock wool was not of a uniform character, resulting in over-dense spots and in general the costly method of manufacture resulting from the numerous steps in the production of the article.

It is therefore another important object of the present invention to provide a novel means and method of manufacturing felted rock wool products which will overcome the aforesaid disadvantages by operating on a continuous system from the time of charging a cupola to the packing of the product and with all hand packing and sewing eliminated.

A still further object of the invention is to pro' vide felted rock wool products possessing improved insulating qualities resulting from the continuous method employed in the production of a homogeneous product.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly in sectionof the apparatus employed .in the production of the felted and reinforced rock wool product, the gure having a match line at the right and side thereof and illustrating the cupola in communication with the blow chamber, and

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, having a match line at its left side for mating with Figure 1 and illustrating the drying and curing oven and the apparatus for cutting the i'elted sheet into chosen bat or board sizes.

11 Claims.

Matching Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be observed that the cupola 5 discharges the material into the blow chamber 6 and from the blow chamber the reinforced felted rock wool in a sheet is delivered to the oven 6 for drying and curing the same and from said oven the completed rock wool sheet is delivered to the cutting apparatus designated in general by the reference character 8 for severing the sheet into reinforced rock wool bats or boards of the desired dimensions.

As shown in Figure 1, the cupola 5 of conventional type or other suitable furnace is adapted to receive rock, slag, glass, mixtures thereof or other suitable elements employed in the manufacture of rock wool and is adapted to be melted therein. The molten material is delivered from the cupola 5 as indicated by the reference character 9 and falls into the path of a steam jet I0 issuing from the nozzle II and this steam jet acts to shred the molten material into a multiplicity of very fine fibers that are carried by the force of the steam binder with the steam-carried shreds of material.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the blow chamber maybe of any shape desired. preferably rectangular and comprising a top wall I3, side walls I4, and

end walls I5, the blow chamber 6 being preferably f open at its lower end with the side and end walls resting on a support or foundation I'I. The end wall I5 of the blow chamber is provided with an orice I8 of sufficient dimensions to ensure complete passage therethrough into the blow chamber of the shredded molten material and the binder.

An endless belt having horizontal runs I9 eX- tends lengthwise of the lower end of the blow chamber 6 to form a false bottom therefor and spaced above the support I1 and is mounted on rollers 20 and 2I journaled respectively across the lower ends of the end walls I5 and I6 of the blow chamber, the upper run of the belt providing a conveving support for the rock wool material being felted.

It will be understood that the endless belt I9 is formed of foraminous material for the passage therethrough of steam and moisture transient in the felting material.

It is intended to reinforce the rock wool with such materials as metal lath, poultry netting, hardware cloth, or re resistant perforated boards and reference herein to screen material will be understood to include such velements or others that may accomplish the same purpose and, as shown in Figure 1, a rack 22 mounted on the support I1 adjacent the end wall I5 of the blow chamber carries a screen roll 23 having the screen sheet 24 issuing therefrom passing over and in contact with the upper run of the endless belt I8 and to be unwound from said roll by movement of the belt I9. Additional screen rolls may be provided in any number desired, a bracket 25 at the lower end of the' end Wall I6 of the blow chamber carrying a screen roll 26 with the screen sheet 21 issuing therefrom passing through an opening 28 at the end wall and over a guide roller 29 Within the blow chamber to be directed downwardly and outwardly over a guide roller 30 and above the screen sheet 24. It will be observed that in the completed product the screen sheets 24 and 21 lie adjacent the bottom and top surfaces thereof and to provide an intermediate reinforcing screen sheet, another screen roll 3I is adjustably mounted on stepped brackets 32 within the blow chamber so that the screen sheet 33 from the roll 3| may by adjustment of the roll be positioned differently with respect tothe top and bottom sides of the completed product.

The shredded material 'in the blow chamber is gravitationally compacted on the screen sheet 24, starting from the entry of the sheet into the blow chamber and is further compacted and brought to a more condensed state by the superposed screen sheets 33 and 21, and during vsuch settling and compacting activities of the material on the screen sheets provision is made for evacuating steam and gases from the blow chamber and from the compacted mass, a suction head 34 being arranged at the underside of the upper run of the belt I9 and extending lengthwise thereof, with suction induced through the branchpipe 35 that is in communication with a suitable source of energy.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the oven 1 comprises achambered casing open at its lower side and mounted on the support I1, said oven having a pair of superposed endless belts operating therein, the lower endless belt 36 extending outwardly of opposite ends of the oven with one end terminating adjacent the endless belt I9 at the end wall I6 of the blow chamber, with the upper run of said endless belt 36 receiving the compacted felted rock wool sheet delivered thereto by the endless belt I9, to move said rock wool sheet into the oven 1. The second endless belt 31 within the oven 1 overlies the aforesaid endless belt 36 and is mounted thereiny for vertical adjustment as by means of the devices 38 to present the lower end thereof diierent distances from the rock wool sheet as to determine the degree of density of the finished sheet. To support the upper run of the endless belt 36 in its passage through the oven 1, another endless belt 39 is arranged in the oven between the upper and lower runs of the belt 36, with the upper run of the belt 39 in supporting contact with the upper run of the belt 36, and it will be understood that all of the conveyor and endless belts recited herein are of a foraminous character.

Means is provided for drying and curing the reinforced felted sheet in its passage through the oven 1 and. as shown in Figure 2, the heating and drying apparatus includes a series of conduits or '4 pipes. damper controlled, a heating element, and a fan blower. As diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 2, a heater 40 is in communication with a Ian housing 4I with the fan therein driven by the motor 42 for blowing heated air through the branch conduits 43 that enter the lower end of the oven as at 44 and beneath the upper run of the endless belt 36 carrying the rock wool sheet. An air outlet pipe 45 rises from the top wall of the oven at each end thereof and above said oven that are connected by a cross pipe 46 which in turn has a branch pipe connecting 41 with the heater 40, the branch pipe having an air flow control damper 48 therein, while similar dampers 46 are arranged in the air outlet pipes 45 above the cross pipe 46. It will be understood that the air flows in the direction of the arrows, being controlled by the several dampers, and instead of exhausting all of the air through the outlet pipes 45, the air may either partially or entirely ow in a close path for return to the oven 1.

The completely felted and reinforced rock wool sheet is delivered from the oven by means of the endless belt 36 onto the endless conveyor 50 supported on a stand 5I that in turn is mounted on the support I1 and in association with the cutting apparatus, the latter being diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 2. Suitable cutting devices are provided, such as carborundum wheels 52 and 53, both of which may be motor operated as at 54, the cutting wheel or wheels 52 being adjustably mounted transversely of the rock wool sheet for cutting the latter into desired widths, while the cutting wheel 63 operates to sever the rock wool sheet or sheet strips into the desired length for the production of a finished reinforced rock wool bat or board as shown at 55.

From the above detailed description of the invention, it is believed that the method employed in the apparatus disclosed will be fully understood, it being particularly noted that the method is a continuous and uninterrupted one in the production of reinforced rock wool products and that the apparatus provides a novel construction and arrangement of elements for the practice of the method.

While there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit end scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In the production of rock wool products, the method consisting of continuously passing. material through a sequence of steps consisting of first melting rock wool material, then steam projecting the melted material to reduce the same to a fibrous state and lspraying a binder into the projected material for Vdelivery into a blow and mixing chamber, moving .foraminous elements in spaced relation to each other through said chamber with the fibrous material settling and compacting thereon and therebetween to form a rock wool sheet, moving ,the sheet through a curing oven and finally delivering the sheet to cutting devices to form rock wool products of desired dimensions.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein moisture is extracted from the material while in the blow and mixing chamber.

3. A method as in claim l, wherein a blast of heated air is blown over and through the rock wool sheet while in the curing oven.

4. A method as in claim l, wherein a controlled blast of heated air is blown over and through ther rock wool sheet while in the curing oven.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein moisture is extracted from the material while in the blow and mixing chamber, and wherein a blast of heated air is blown over and through the rock Wool sheet while in the curing oven.

6. Means for the production of rock wool products comprising elements arranged and operating in sequence and including, a cupola to reduce rock wool base material to a molten state, a blow chamber, said molten material adapted to be steam projected and mixed with binder into said blow chamber, means for passing foraminous sheets through the blow chamber in spaced relation with the rock wool material combined therewith to form a rock wool sheet, a curing oven into which the rock wool sheet is delivered, and cutting means receiving the sheet from the oven to sever the sheet into rock wool products of predetermined dimensions.

7. Means for the production of rock wool products as in claim 6, wherein an endless belt forms the bottom wall of the blow chamber.

8. Means for the production of rock wool porductsas in claim 6, wherein an endless belt forms the bottom wall of the blow chamber, and suction means at the lower end of the blow chamber for evacuating moisture from the rock wool material.

9. Means for the production of rock wool products as in claim 6, wherein an endless belt forms the bottom wall of the blow chamber, and means for varying the space between the foraminous sheets.

i0. Means for the production of rock wool products as in claim 6, wherein an endless belt forms the bottom wall of the blow chamber, suc- I tion means at the lower end of the blow chamber for evacuating moisture from the rock wool material and means for the foramlncus sheets.

varying the space between 11. Means for the production of rock wool products comprising elements arranged and operating in sequence and including, a cupola to reduce rock wool base material to a molten state, a blow chamber, said molten material adapted to be steam projected and mixed with a binder into said blow chamber, means for passing foraminous sheets through the blow chamber in spaced relation with the rock wool material combined therewith to form a rock wool sheet, a curing oven into which the rock wool sheet is delivered, and cutting means receiving the sheet from the oven to sever the sheet into rock wool products of predetermined dimensions, an endless belt in the oven for the support of the rock wool sheet and means for owing a' controlled blast of heated air throughv the oven and over the rock Woolsheet.

CHARLES D. RICHARDSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the me of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,881,932 Powell Oct. 11, 1932 1,899,056 Powell Feb. 28, 1933 2,152,901 Manning Apr. 4, 1939 2,188,373 Pearce, Jan. 30, 1940 2,218,338 Manning Oct. 15, 1940 2,230,270 Simpson Feb. 4, 1941 2,295,971 Savidge Sept. 15, 1942 2,337,726 Rainford et al Dec. 28, 1943 2,373,077 Kleist Apr. 3, 1945 2,389,024 Brownlee Nov. 13, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 482,809 Great Britain Apr. 5, 1938 

